Vault air conditioning construction



March 1, 1966 N. L.. sTRlcKLAND ETAL 3,237,547

VAULT AIR CONDITIONING CONSTRUCTION ATTORNEYS March l, 1966 N. L...STRICKLAND ETAL. 3,237,547

VAULT AIR CONDITIONING CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. l2, 1963Zumo ngvENTQRs ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,237,547 VAULT AIRCGNDlTliNlNG CGNSTRUCTION Nacy L. Strickland, North Canton, and RobertL. Schutt, Canton, hio, assignors to Diebold, Incorporated, Canton,Chio, a corporation of hio Filed Aug. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 301,39) dClaims. (Cl. 98-39) This invention relates to a ventilator for a bankvault and more particularly it pertains to a valve for opening andclosing an air Ventilating conduit leading to a vault.

Ventilating devices for bank vaults and the like have been usedprimarily as emergency means where a person is locked in a vault eitherintentionally or accidentally. A device for such an emergency isgenerally ref-erred to as a vault ventilator. Such a ventilator isusually provided with two air ports, one to remove stale air and theother to provide fresh air by means of a built-in automatic fan.

Moreover, such devices have provided not only for n voice communicationto the outside but have permitted direct access for transferring of foodand liquids. The vault air conditioning construction of thisv inventionis not an emergency device. Rather it provides for regular ventilationand air conditioning of a vault during I the time when the vault door isopen.

The atmosphere within a vault must be ventilated and conditioned becausewindow openings through which air normally enters a room are notprovided for most vaults. A11 expedient way to ventilate a vault is to jly, an air ventilator for a room is controlled by means solely withinthe room. For maximum security, however, additional controls should beprovided outside of the vault to stop operation of the ventilator oraccess to the vault through the ventilator opening when the vault isclosed, such as when personnel forget to close the access opening beforeclosing the vault.

When the ventilator means is not closed before the vaul-t door isclosed, a ventilator valve is open which reduces the degree of securitywhich should be maintained. Exterior control means should be providedfor closing the air conduit through the vault wall. On the other hand,the means for opening the ventilator means must be maintained within thevault in the event a person is inadvertently locked into preventsuffocation.

An air Ventilating device should also be provided with interior andexterior indicator lights which denote the specic condition of thedevice, i.e., whether on or off. If the ventilator is off, an exteriorindicator light should be on. When the exterior light is off, however,it indicates that the ventilator is either unlocked,

arthe the 3,237,547 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 ICC erated at the innersurface of the vault wall. Controls for turning the value on and olf arelikewise provided within the vault, but an additional control forturning it off may be provided outside of the vault in order to permitclosing of the valve when it is inadvertently left on before closing thevault door. Suitable indicator lights may be provided in conjunctionwith the control means.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a vaultair conditioning construction which is primarily an air conditioning andVentilating means for the vault atmosphere when the vault door is open.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vault airconditioning construction which is secondarily used for Ventilating thevault when a person is inadvertently locked in.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vault airconditioning construction which penetrates the vault wall andcommunicates with the central air conditioning system of the building inwhich the vault is located without substantially minimizing security.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vault airconditioning construction which provides control means and indicatinglights within the vault.

It is another object of this invention toprovide a vault airconditioning construction which provides an indicator light for thelocked position of the value and which also provides a control forclosing the valve when the indicator light is olf.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vault airconditioning construction which is used in conjunction with a regularair system of the building in which the vault is located and whichconstruction is devoid of an air fan.

Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved airconditioning construction which is easily operated and which requires aminimum of maintenance and repair.

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, constructions,arrangements, combinations and subcombinations comprising the presentinvention, a preferred embodiment of which-illustrative of the best modein which applicants have contemplated applying the principles-is setforth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and which is particularly and distinctly pointed out and setforth in the appended claims forming a part hereof.

The present invention may be described in general terms as comprising abank vault having a wall with a ventilator opening therethrough, theventilator opening communicating with 4an air conduit of a centralVentilating system, a rotary valve extending across the ventilatoropening and rotatably mounted on trunnions at the inner surface of thevault wall, the valve having an air passage alignable with the airconduit when lthe valve is in an open position, the valve having an airblocking surface alignable with the air conduit when the valve is in theclosed position, a motor connected to one of the trunnions, means forlimiting the degree of rotation of the motor to arcs for each operationof the motor, said means including an actuator disc on the shaft, a pairof radially opposed switch pins on at least one side of the disc, afirst limit switch mounted in the path of rotation of the switch pins, asecond limit switch mounted in the path of rotation of the switch pinsand spaced 90 from the rst switch, solenoid means in conjunction withthe motor for locking the rotary valve in the open and closed positions,the solenoid means including a lock pin and pin-receiving recess in thevalve, the lock pin being spring-biased in the recess in each of theopen and closed positions, the lock pin being movable out of thepin-receiving recess upon actuation of the solenoid, and control meansfor rotating the valve to the open and closed positions including a`switch for actuating the rotary valve to -the open and closed positionswithin the vault and including a switch exterior of the vault wall foractuating the rotary valve to the closed position.

In the drawings which are illustrative of the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, by Way of example, and in which similar numerals refer tosimilar parts:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view through a bank vault;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the improved power operated securityvalve construction with parts broken away and in section;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an electrical diagram.

In FIG. 1 a vault is generally indicated at 1. It includes a rear wall2, a front wall 3, and a top wall 4. The front wall is provided with anentry opening 5 for a vault door (not shown). A conduit 6 extends fromthe rear wall 2 and is part of a central ventilator and air conditioningsystem (not shown) for the building in which the vault 1 is situated.

A ventilator opening 7 extends through the rear wall 2 and communicateswith the conduit 6 at a level below the top wall 4 and below a falseceiling 8 which may be provided under the top wall. The opening 7 isshown in lthe rear wall 2. It is understood, however, that it may besituated in any other wall of the vault 1 such as the top Wall 4 withthe conduit 6 extending thereto.

As shown in FIG. 4 lthe opening 7 in the wall 2 includes a portion 7aand an enlarged portion 7b. The portion 7a is preferably lined with asheet metal liner 9 which communicates with and is connected to theconduit 6. The opening portion 7a extends inwardly from the exteriorvault surface to a location substantially midway between exterior andinterior vault Wall surfaces and it communicates with the enlargedopening portion 7b.

The enlarged opening portion 7b is encased within a housing whichincludes upper and lowerhousing plates 10 and 11, back plate 12, andopposite end plates 13 and 14 (FIG. 3). The plates 10 and 14 aresubstantially heavier than the liner 9. The plate 12 which is verticallydisposed across opening portions 7a and 7b is of particularly heavygauge metal. The plates 10 and 11 are welded at 15 to the plate 12, asshown.

The ventilator includes a rotary valve body 17 which is preferablycircular in cross section and is enclosed within a pair of arcuateplates 1S and 19 which form cylindrical wall portions. The valve body 17also includes a pair of spaced at plates 20 and 211 which together withthe arcuate plates 1S and 19 define a passage or radial slot 22 throughthe valve body 17. The plates 18-21 are mounted at opposite ends on endmembers 23 and 24 in which drive trunnion 25 and stub trunnion 26,respectively, are mounted at opposite ends. The trunnions are mounted inpillow blocks or journals 2 7 and 28, which in turn are mounted onspacer blocks 29 and 30, respectively, on the back plate 12. Thus, thevalve body 17 is centrally disposed and rotatably mounted Within thehousing passage or opening 7b. The closed position of the valve body 17is shown by the broken line positions of the fiat plates 20 and 21 (FIG.4).

When the valve 17 is turned through 90 arc increments, it turns theradial slot 22 between the closed and open posit-ions. In the closedposition one of the arcuate plates 18 and 19 is disposed across anopening 31 in the back plate 12 which opening is aligned with theopening portion 7a. In the open position the passage 22 is aligned withthe opening 31 so that forced air from the conduit 6 and opening 7passes through the valve 17 and into the interior of the vault 1.

To minimize air leakage into the area between the valve and the plates10, 11, and 12, air bates 32 are provided between the valve and the rearpiate 12. An access cover 34 having an opening aligned with opening 31is mounted on the inner -vault wall side of the ventilator by spacedscrews 35. Air baies 33 also are provided between the cover 34 and valveand for security the cover 34 is held in place by spaced bars 34a andretainer bolts 34b.

yFor greater security the arcuate plates 18 and 19 and the air battle 32and 33 are preferably composed of copper secured to the plates 20 and 21and members 23 and 24 -by screws 19a. Copper cannot be burned away by a'blow torch if an attempt is made from the outside of the Wall throughthe opening portion 7a. By providing the plates 18 `and 19 in the tbaie32 as copper members, it is virtually impossible to `break into thevault 1 through the opening 7.

Means for rotating the -valve in one direction are generally indicatedat 36 and include a motor 37 and reduction gear means 37a. The motor ismounted on a spacer block 38 on the rear wall 12. In addition, drivecontrol means are also provided for stopping rotation of the valve body17 after each 90 arc increment of rotation, which means include anIactuator disc 39, spacer limit switches 40 and 41, and switch actuatorpins 42 and 43. Two pins 42 are mounted at 180 one side of the disc 39and two pins 43 are similarly mounted on the other side of the disc. Theswitches 40 and 41 are in the normally closed position so that the motor37 operates to turn the valve 17. When the pins 42 and 43 actuates oneor the other of the switches 40 and 41, the motor 37 stops. The switches40 and 41 are spaced 90 from each other so that operation of the motor37 is always limited for each actuation to movement of valve body 17through a 90 arc increment.

In addition to the foregoing, means are provided for locking the valvein each open and closed position. The means include a lock pin orsecurity pin-bolt 44 which is spring-biased into one of four spacedpin-receiving apertures 45 on the left side of the end member 23. Thepin 44 is slidably mounted in an aperture 46 in the spacer block 29 andthe outer end of the pin is pivotally connected by a pin 47 to a lockrocker arm 43. The arm 48 is pivotally mounted by a pin 49 on one sideof the block 29. A solenoid S0 is mounted near the rocker arm 48 and isprovided with a solenoid rod 51 which extends and is connected to therocker arm yat 52. The soienoid also includes a plunger 53 which extendsfrom the side of the solenoid opposite the rod 51. A coil spring 54holds the rocker arm 48 and pin 44 in the locked position shown in FIG.3. The solenoid 50 is actuated at the same time as the motor 37 by amanual switch inside 'and outside of the vault.

. In the event of power failure, manual means generally indicated at 55are provided for opening or closing the ventilator valve which meansinclude a pair o-f bevel gears 56 and S7. The -gear 56 is iixedlymounted on the trunnion 25. However, the gear 57 is mounted on a shaftS8 which is journally mounted in a sleeve 59 on the inside surface ofthe access cover 34. The shaft extends through an aperture 60 in the-cover and yan outer end portion 61 is adapted to receive a hand crank(not shown).

The gear 57 is maintained in a position spaced from the gear 56 by acoil spring 62 on the shaft 58. When a crank is attached to the endportion 61, the gear 57 is pressed inwardly against the spring 62. Asthe gears 56 and 57 |are engaged, the inward pressure of the shaft S8pushes the plunger 53 into the solenoid and thereby disengages the pin44 from the pin-receiving aperture 45, and the valve is free to actuateupon turning of the crank.

Manual controls ,for opening and closing the ventilator include aninside switch 63 for opening and closing the valve (FIGS. 1 and 6), anoutside switch 64 for closing the valve, and inside arid outsideindicator lamps 65 and 66. The inside switch 63 is used for opening andclosing the ventilator. The outside switch is used only to close theventilator. The lamps 65 and 66 are on only when the ventilator isclosed. The manner in which the switches and lamps are wired foroperating the motor 37 and the solenoid 50 is shown in the schematicwiring diagram of FIG. 6.

The wiring diagram shows the condition of the various switches when themotor is at rest and the valve body 17 is in open position as shown inFIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5. In arriving at the open position, normally closedLS1 switch 41 was opened by pin 42 (FIG. 5) to stop motor 37 at the endof the previous operation and is held open by pin 42 while valve body 17is open as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5. T-he pole LS2 of switch 40 isnormally closed as shown while the other pole LS3 of switch 40 isnormally open. Aux.CR and Aux.OR are normally closed while 1OR, 2CR,ICR, and 2CR are normally open. IOR, ZOR, and Aux.OR are poles of openrelay OR, while ICR, 2CR, and Aux.C-R are poles of close relay CR.

When it is desired to close valve body 17 by operation of the closebutton of inside switch 63 or the outside close button 64, one of thesebuttons being depressed closes a circuit .from line wire 70 to line wire71 through LS2, Aux.OR, and close relay CR. This energizes CR which,when energized, opens Aux.CR and closes ICR yand 2CR. ICR, when closed,maintains the circuit for energizing CR. Opening of Aux.CR prevents openrelay OR from being energized accidentally while CR is energized.Closing of 2CR starts motor 37.

When motor 37 starts Valve body 17 is rotated and as pin 42 (FIG. 5)moves away from LSI (switch 4I), LSI closes. Valve body 17 continues torotate until a pin 42 actuates switch 40 when valve body 17 is fullyclosed. This opens LS2 and at the same time closes L83. LS3 when closed,lights indicator lamps 65 and 66 inside and outside the vault.

When LS2 opens, CR is deenergized and Aux.CR closes while ICR and 2CRopen stopping motor 37 with valve body I7 closed. Meanwhile, when motor37 was started by closing 2CR, solenoid 50 also was energized to retractpin 44 permitting rotation of valve body I7 by motor 37. When 2CR openssolenoid 50 also is deenergized permitting pin 44 to lock valve body 17in the closed position.

With the valve closed, LSI is normally closed but LS2 (switch 40) isheld open by pin 42. Now when it is desired to open valve body 17, theopen button of inside control switch 63 is depressed completing acircuit through LS1, Aux.CR and open relay OR. When OR is energized, itscontacts IOR and ZOR close and Aux.OR opens. IOR maintains the circuitfor energizing OR, Aux.OR prevents CR from being energized accidentallywhile OR is energized; and 2CR when closed starts motor 37 to rotatevalve body 17 another 90 arc increment from closed to open position.Upon moving from closed position, pin 42 releases LS2 (switch 41)permitting it to close while LS3 opens extinguishing the signals 65 and66. Upon arriving at open position, pin 42 actuates LSI, that is switch41, to open it deenergizing open relay OR and permitting Aux.OR to closeand IOR and 2OR to open stopping motor 37 with valve body 17 open.

The device of the present invention provides an air conditioningconstruction for a bank vault or similar room requiring a regularperiodic change of air. It is used primarily when the vault door is openand is used secondarily for Ventilating a vault when a person isinadvertently locked in. The device provides for air conditioning thevault in conjunction with the central air conditioning system of thebuilding'in which the vault is located. Security of the vault is notsubstantially affected. Moreover, the construction includes controlmeans including indicator lights for indicating whether the valve is inthe open or closed position.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding but no unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom, because such words are used for descriptive purposeshereinand are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated anddescribed herein is by way of example and the scope of the presentinvention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown.

Having now described the invention, the construction, operation and useof the preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous new and usefulresults obtained thereby, the new and useful construction and reasonablemechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Power operated security valve construction for use in air conduitmeans which extends through one of the walls forming a vault compartmentand which communicates between the vault compartment and a source of airunder differential pressure with respect to that in the vaultcompartment; the construction including valve housing means mounted in avault wall adjacent a vault compartment surface and forming a passageportion of air conduit means extending through such vault wall; a valveIbody rotatably mounted in said housing having cylindrical wall portionsand means forming a radial slot extending through the valve body wall;the valve body being rotatable in the housing in one direction throughsuccessive arc increments, valve body rotation through said successivearc increments locating the valve body alternately in open and closedpositions; the valve body when in open position establishing air conduitmeans communication through said radial slot between said vaultcompartment and a source of air under differential pressure, and theValve body cylindrical wall portions when in closed position cutting oisaid communication; power means mounted in said housing means in drivingengagement with said valve body for rotating the valve body in onedirection; drive control means mounted in said housing means includingmeans actuated upon rotation of the valve body to stop rotation aftermovement through each 90 arc increment; security pin-bolt meansoperative independently of the drive means automatically to engage andlock the valve body when stopped at least at said closed position aftermovement through a 90 arc increment; operation control means accessibleexteriorly and interiorly of said vault compartment operative toenergize the power means when said valve 'body is in open position tomove the valve body from open to closed position; said operation controlmeans including means accessible solely interiorly of said vaultcompartment operative to energize the power means when said valve bodyin said closed position to move the valve body from closed to openposition; and said operation control means including means actuated todisengage locking engagement between the security pin-bolt means andvalve body when the power means is energized to move the valve body froma locked position.

2. The construction defined in claim I in which the security pin-boltmeans includes a series of recesses formed in the valve body spaced 90apart around the axis of the rotatable valve body, and a slidablepin-bolt alignable selectively with said recesses and mounted in thehousing means normally biased to a position to engage one of saidrecesses and to lock the Valve body when the pinbolt is aligned with anyrecess; and in which the means actuated to disengage locking engagementbetween the security pin-bolt means and valve body includes solenoidmeans operatively connected with the pin-bolt and energized when thepower means is energized.

3. The construction deiined in claim I in which the power means fordriving the valve body includes a drive shaft connected with the valvebody; in which manual rive means is mounted on the housing meansassessible interiorly of said vault compartment selectively to drivinglyengage said drive shaft; and in which said manual means also actuatesthe security pin-bolt means to disengage 7 locking engagement betweenthe security pin-bolt means and valve body when the manual means isdrivingly engaged with said drive shaft.

4. The construction defined in claim 3 in which the means actuated todisengage locking engagement between the security pin-bolt means andvalve body includes a solenoid and a movable solenoid rod actuated bythe solenoid when the latter is energized; in which the rod isoperatively connected with the pin-bolt means to disengage lockingengagement when the solenoid is energized; and in which the manual meansengages and actuates the solenoid rod to pin-bolt disengaging positionwhen the manual means is engaged with the valve body drive shaft.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,928,381 9/1933Kahn 98-33 2,276,835 3/1942 Gibson. 2,751,838 6/1956 Jones 98-33 10WILLIAM F. O'DEA, Primm Examiner.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, Examiner.

1. POWER OPERATED SECURITY VALVE CONSTRUCTION FOR USE IN AIR CONDUITMEANS WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH ONE OF THE WALLS FORMING A VAULT COMPARTMENTAND WHICH COMMUNICATES BETWEEN THE VAULT COMPARTMENT AND A SOURCE OF AIRUNDER DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE WITH RESPECT TO THAT IN THE VAULTCOMPARTMENT; THE CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING VALVE HOUSING MEANS MOUNTED IN AVAULT WALL ADJACENT A VAULT COMPARTMENT SURFACE AND FORMING A PASSAGEPORTION OF AIR CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SUCH VAULT WALL; A VALVEBODY ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING HAVING CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTIONSAND MEANS FORMING A RADIAL SLOT EXTENDING THROUGH THE VALVE BODY WALL;THE VALVE BODY BEING ROTATABLE IN THE HOUSING IN ONE DIRECTION THROUGHSUCCESSIVE 90* ARC INCREMENTS, VALVE BODY ROTATION THROUGH SAIDSUCCESSIVE ARC INCREMENTS LOCATING THE VALVE BODY ALTERNATELY IN OPENAND CLOSED POSITIIONS; THE VALVE BODY WHEN IN OPEN POSITION ESTABLISHINGAIR CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATION THROUGH SAID RADIAL SLOT BETWEEN SAIDVAULT COMPARTMENT AND A SOURCE OF AIR UNDER DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE, ANDTHE VALVE BODY CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTIONS WHEN IN CLOSED POSITION CUTTINGOFF SAID COMMUNICATION; POWER MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING MEANS INDRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VALVE BODY FOR ROTATING THE VALVE BODY INONE DIRECTION; DRIVE CONTROL MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING MEANSINCLUDING MEANS ACTUATED UPON ROTATION OF THE VALVE BODY TO STOPROTATION AFTER MOVEMENT THROUGH EACH 90* ARE INCREMENT; SECURITYPIN-BOLT MEANS OPERATIVE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE DRIVE MEANS AUTOMATICALLYTO ENGAGE AND LOCK THE VALVE BODY WHEN STOPPED AT LEAST AT SAID CLOSEDPOSITION AFTER MOVEMENT THROUGH A 90* ARC INCREMENT; OPERATION CONTROLMEANS ACCESSIBLE EXTERIORILY AND INTERIORLY OF SAID VAULT COMPARTMENTOPERATIVE TO ENERGIZE THE POWER MEANS WHEN SAID VALVE BODY IS IN OPENPOSITION TO MOVE THE VALVE BODY FROM OPEN TO CLOSED POSITION; SAIDOPERATION CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS ACCESSIBLE SOLELY INTERIORLY OFSAID VAULT COMPARTMENT OPERATIVE TO ENERGIZE THE POWER MEANS WHEN SAIDVALVE BODY IN SAID CLOSED POSITION TO MOVE THE VALVE BODY FROM CLOSED TOOPEN POSITION; AND SAID OPERATION CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS ACTUATEDTO DISENGAGE LOCKING ENGAGMENT BETWEEN THE SECURITY PIN-BOLT MEANS ANDVALVE BODY WHEN THE POWER MEANS IS ENERGIZED TO MOVE THE VALVE BODY FROMA LOCKED POSITION.